Sofia Kinsella passed away after a battle with brain cancer
10 december 2025 в 21:13
Sophie Kinsella (real name: Madeleine Sophie Wickham) battled a malignant brain tumor in the last years of her life. The author of the Shopaholic series, whose works were adapted into the successful 2009 film «Confessions of a Shopaholic», - passed away at the age of 55 in December 2025—exactly one year after she publicly revealed her illness.
«With deep sorrow, we announce that our beloved Sophie (also known as Maddy and Mommy) left us this morning», - Kinsella’s family wrote in a statement posted on her Instagram page on December 10, 2025. «She passed away peacefully, and her final days were filled with those she loved: family, music, warmth, Christmas, and joy».
Kinsella’s family added: «We cannot imagine life without her brightness and love for life. Despite her illness, which she endured with incredible courage, Sophie considered herself truly happy—to have such a wonderful family and friends, as well as to achieve outstanding success in her writing career. She never took anything for granted and was always grateful for the love she received. We will miss her dearly; our hearts are broken».
Here’s what we know about the last years of Kinsella’s life and her battle with glioblastoma.
Glioblastoma is a malignant form of cancer that begins as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord. The cancer progresses rapidly and can occur at any age, but primarily in adulthood, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms of the disease include worsening headaches, nausea and vomiting, blurred and/or double vision, speech difficulties, changes in sensory perception, and seizures, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some patients may also experience problems with balance, coordination, and movement of parts of the face or body.
Kinsella was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in 2022. In mid-2024, she shared her story with the world on the program «Good Morning America».
«The first symptoms I had were related to my legs», - Kinsella said at the time. «I was stumbling, I had very severe headaches. I started getting confused. But when I began to fall off my chair, we realized that something was really wrong».
She also spoke about the hours-long surgery she underwent to remove the brain tumor.
«It was an eight-hour surgery», - Kinsella shared. «They found the tumor and removed it as much as they could see… You have to celebrate every success. The surgery was a triumph».
Although the surgery was successful, the writer still suffered from memory loss and underwent a course of radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for glioblastoma. There are treatments that help patients cope with the disease
«With deep sorrow, we announce that our beloved Sophie (also known as Maddy and Mommy) left us this morning», - Kinsella’s family wrote in a statement posted on her Instagram page on December 10, 2025. «She passed away peacefully, and her final days were filled with those she loved: family, music, warmth, Christmas, and joy».
Kinsella’s family added: «We cannot imagine life without her brightness and love for life. Despite her illness, which she endured with incredible courage, Sophie considered herself truly happy—to have such a wonderful family and friends, as well as to achieve outstanding success in her writing career. She never took anything for granted and was always grateful for the love she received. We will miss her dearly; our hearts are broken».
Here’s what we know about the last years of Kinsella’s life and her battle with glioblastoma.
Glioblastoma is a malignant form of cancer that begins as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord. The cancer progresses rapidly and can occur at any age, but primarily in adulthood, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms of the disease include worsening headaches, nausea and vomiting, blurred and/or double vision, speech difficulties, changes in sensory perception, and seizures, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some patients may also experience problems with balance, coordination, and movement of parts of the face or body.
Kinsella was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in 2022. In mid-2024, she shared her story with the world on the program «Good Morning America».
«The first symptoms I had were related to my legs», - Kinsella said at the time. «I was stumbling, I had very severe headaches. I started getting confused. But when I began to fall off my chair, we realized that something was really wrong».
She also spoke about the hours-long surgery she underwent to remove the brain tumor.
«It was an eight-hour surgery», - Kinsella shared. «They found the tumor and removed it as much as they could see… You have to celebrate every success. The surgery was a triumph».
Although the surgery was successful, the writer still suffered from memory loss and underwent a course of radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for glioblastoma. There are treatments that help patients cope with the disease
© Puhova Marina
